Decorative wristwatch strap cover



Feb. 10, 1970 A. KREMER DECORATIVE WRISTWATCH STRAP COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 19, 19s? 4 INVENTOR.

Feb. 10, 1970 A. KREMER 3,494,123

' DECORATIVE WRISTWATCH STRAP COVER Filed June 19. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In "I!" W I NVENT OR. JMM/Zmu BYMM United States Patent 43,590 Int. Cl. B211 17/00; F16g 13/00 US. CI. 59-35 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to decorative covers for wristwatch straps and the method of fixing said covers in place by beading or crimping the depending ends thereof.

It is known practice for a number of different types of wristwatch straps to apply decorative covers to the sleeve members in the upper layer of the strap, these decorative covers being fixed to the straps by means of extended flange portions on the side walls of the covers which are bent round the body or casing of the sleeve members.

The use of these decorative covers has the advantage that production of the main structure of the wristwatch strap can continue for a long time without paying attention to the multiplicity of the design features on the upper or visible surface of the finished straps. In this way it is possible to completely separate the manufacturing cycle of the mechanical part of the strap, which remains substantially unaltered over long periods of time, from that of the decorative covers of the straps which has to be continually altered in conformity with the changing tastes of the purchasing public. This division of the two manufacturing cycles considerably simplifies the overall manufacturing operations, and also leads to great adaptability and mobility in responding to changes in taste.

However, the method hitherto used for fixing on the decorative covers is very eomplicted; this method consists in bending the extended flanges of each decorative cover, after it has been placed on its associated sleeve member, round the under surface of the sleeve member body. This method of fixing the decorative bodies increases the costs of the wristwatch straps fitted with such decorative covers.

It has now been found that the decorative covers can be fitted onto the sleeve members in wristwatch straps in which the sleeve members are interconnected by linking members and are formed by an upper cover, two side walls and a bottom part, together with two open end faces aligned with the longitudinal or jointed edges of the strap, and decorative covers are applied to the visible surface of the strap, i.e. to the sleeve members, these decorative covers being attached to the sleeve members by bending projecting portions of the covers round the latter, by applying the decorative covers, each of 'which consists of an upper wall and two side walls, to the sleeve members the ends of whose upper walls are arranged to be extended, the ends of the upper wall of the decorative covers being arranged to extend, at both longitudinal or jointed edge of the strap and by means of a bead formed in the portion projecting beyond the sleeve members, round theends of the upper wall of the sleeve members.

More specifically, it is possible either to feed the strap body continuously through at least two rollers which are disposed opposite one another at a distance corresponding to the width of the strap and which are rotatably arranged with their axes perpendicular to the plane of the wristwatch strap, these rollers having their peripheries so profiled as to bead the ends of the upper wall of the 3,494,123 Patented Feb. 10, 1970 ice decorative covers round the projecting ends of the upper wall of the sleeve members; alternatively it is possible to move the strap body intermittently through at least two pressure-imparting jaws which are capable of moving in opposite directions to one another each time the strap body stops moving and beading the projecting ends of the upper wall of the decorative covers at both longitudinal or jointed edge of the strap round the ends of the upper walls of the sleeve members.

The method according to the invention confers the advantage that a large number of decorative covers can be fixed to the sleeve casings in a single operation and in a fraction of the time required according to conventional procedures.

In addition to the above-defined method the invention also includes wristwatch straps consisting of sleeve members which are interconnected by means of linking members and to which decorative covers have been applied according to the above-defined method, these straps being characterized in that the two ends of the upper wall of the decorative covers are beaded over the extended ends of the upper wall of the sleeve members and extend downwards so as to cover over the end faces of the sleeve members.

The invention includes those wristwatch straps of the above-identified kind which are characterized in that the downwardly directed and beaded-over ends of the upper wall of the decorative covers serve as retaining surfaces preventing the linking members from falling out sideways from the sleeve members, and also wristwatch straps of the above-defined type which are characterized in that the two ends of the extended upper wall of the decorative covers are bent obliquely downwardly towards each other so as to engage behind the extended upper wall ends of the sleeve members, the two ends of the upper wall of the decorative cover being short enough to allow the linking members to be moved laterally in and out through the open end faces of the sleeve members.

The method according to the invention and its products are illustrated in the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the decorative cover and of a plurality of links joined together;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a sleeve member before the decorative cover is fastened;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing the cover fastened in place;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a modification of the inventlon;

f FIG. 5 is a plan viewshowing one method of operaion;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another method of operation; and

FIG. 7 is an end view of the method shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 1 shows a decorative cover consisting of the upper or covering wall 1, the side walls 2 and the end walls 3. This figure also shows an example of a number of component strap members which comprise two sleeve bodies or casings 4 having projecting ends of their upper walls 5 and also two decorative covers 6 which are attached to sleeve members by means of a bead in the manner proposed according to the invention.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively cross-sectional views through a strap member before and after formation of the bead.

In the embodiments of the invention according to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the end walls of the decorative covers extend downwards over a large part of the backs of the U-shaped linking members 20. Thus, they not only serve to cover over the joints of the strap but also to prevent the U-shaped linking members from falling out sideways from the strap.

As illustrated in FIG. 4 it is also possible to provide other means for preventing the U-shaped members from falling out. In that figure the U-shaped member 7 is retained through engagement by the leaf springs 8 and thereby prevented from falling out. In this embodiment, it must naturally be ensured that the end walls. of the decorative covers do not extend too far downwards over the backs of the U-shaped members, as otherwise the 'U-shaped members could not be freely moved in and out when alterations in length are being made and when the strap is being assembled. Thus, in FIG. 4 the very short end wall 9 is merely bent back obliquely so as to engage behind the end of the extended upper or cover wall of the sleeve member casing, thereby to prevent the decorative cover from spontaneously disengaging from the sleeve member. Obviously it would be possible to provide a somewhat stronger bead in this embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. and 7 show the beading of the wristwatch strap 11 by means of the profiled rollers 10, and FIG. 6 shows this beading taking place by means of pressureimparting jaws 12.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A method for mounting decorative covers on openended sleeve members of wristwatch straps in which the sleeve members are interconnected by links and having an upper plate extending beyond said links which con sists in placing a cover having depending end walls over said upper plate and pressing a portion of said depending end walls inwardly around the ends of said upper plate only.

2. A method for mounting decorative covers on openended sleeve members of wristwatch straps in which the sleeve members are interconnected by links having an upper plate extending beyond said links which consists in placing a cover having depending end walls over said upper plate and passing the sleeve members between pressing means to press a portion of said depending end walls inwardly around the ends of said upper plate only, in a continuous manner.

3. A method for mounting decorative covers on sleeve members on wristwatch straps in which the sleeve members are interconnected by links and having upper plates extending beyond said links which consists in placing a decorative cover having depending end walls over said upper plate and passing the sleeve members between a pair of rollers to press the depending ends of the decorative cover inwardly.

4. A method for mounting decorative covers on sleeve members on wristwatch straps in which the sleeve members are interconnected by links and having upper plates extending beyond said links which consists in placing a decorative cover having depending end walls over said upper plate and passing the sleeve members between a pair of rollers to press the depending ends of the decorative cover inwardly to form a bead around the end of said upper plate.

5. A method of mounting decorative covers of wristwatch straps in which the sleeve members are interconnected by links that have an open end, said sleeve members having an upper plate extending beyond said links which consists in placing a decorative cover having depending end walls over said upper plate and passing the sleeve members between pressing means to form a bead around the head of said upper plate and to partially cover the open end of said sleeve member.

6. A method of mounting decorative covers on sleeve members of Wristwatch straps in which the sleeve members are interconnected by linking members and are formed by an upper wall, two side walls and a bottom wall and also by two open end faces in alignment with the longitudinal or jointed edges of the strap, decorative covers being applied, on the visible face of the strap, to the sleeve members, these decorative covers being secured to the sleeve members by bending parts of the decorative covers, which extend beyond the sleeve members, round the latter, characterized in that the decorative covers are applied to sleeve members whose upper Walls are extended in their end portions, the extended ends of the upper wall of the decorative covers being formed, at both longitudinal edges of the strap and in the region of the decorative cover which extends beyond the sleeve member, with a bead which engages round the ends of the upper wall of the sleeve members.

7. In a wristwatch strap having open-ended sleeve members interconnected by links and each of said sleeve members having an upper plate extending beyond said links, the improvement which comprises a decorative cover therefor, the said cover comprising a flat member having depending ends pressed inwardly around the ends of said upper plate only.

8. In a wristwatch strap having open-ended sleeve members interconnected by links, said sleeve members having an upper plate extending beyond said links, the improvement which comprises a decorative cover therefor, said cover constiuting a flat member having depending ends formed in a bead around the ends of said upper plate only.

9. In a wristwatch strap having sleeve members interconnccted by links, said sleeve members having an upper plate extending beyond said links, the improvement which comprises a decorative cover therefor, said cover constituting a fiat member having depending ends formed in a head around the ends of said upper plate only and engaging said connecting links.

10. A method for mounting decorative covers on openended sleeve members of wristwatch straps in which the sleeve members are interconnected by links having an upper plate extending beyond said links which consists in placing a cover having depending end walls over said upper plate and passing the sleeve member between pressing means to press a portion of said depending end walls inwardly around the ends of said upper plate drl'ly, and by pressing a number of sleeve members at one step.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS CHARLES w. LANHAM, Primary Examiner G. P. CROSBY, Assistant Examiner US X3, 59-79 

